Looking to invest money for my daughter. She received roughly 1k for her baptism. We would also expect yearly contributions(small) yearly. I do not want to commit to a 529 , incase she would ever need the money for some other type of reason. What do the bogleheads advise? I read the UTMA impacts fin...

Hello bogleheads. I have a issue I have been dealing with, and figured I would consult the smartest people I know :) . My dad used to own a pizza place . While running the place , he kept horrible records/ receipts. He got audited and levied a lot of back taxes from NYS. This was about 4 years ago ....

Do not replace them . Coming from a service technician(me). The r22 systems run much more reliable at lower pressures. The new 410a systems have been giving everybody a lot of problems . Luckily , most work is still under warrenty . Still a burden to homeowners to have to deal with it all. The new e...

Very nice units. Get the heat pump instead of just cooling as well . You won't regret it with the inverter compressor. The main drawback to these units is flared fittings( more prone to leaks), and serviceability. They are still a niche market and parts sometimes can be hard to locate verse a conven...

Around here, 150$ per couple is good. I think generally most weddings I have been too are 25k plus to put on . I guess saying what if mom pays for it ? Well , open bar , a decent steak , along with music/ friends etc... Is worth more than 10$.

Re-emphasize what mudpuppy said . I am involved and see the results of these " audits " every day . And even while there might be a technicality where this is a " problem" , I would not panic . It really pisses me off because I have seen the " backdraft test " , or that "failed to draft under worse ...

Hey bogleheads . Went to the dealership today looking for a new car for my wife . Anyways , we were interested in the base model Nissan Rogue . We currently have two months left on her camry lease. The terms were 36 month 36k miles , and includes gap insurance. He sits down and makes a proposal of 3...

Thanks . I guess the question is why did they get it last year when it was same $$ situation , except for housing . Makes sense though I just remember last year they had to amend it because they screwed up. Do not want to have to go through that again . Thank you again . My parents did not pay anyth...

Hello fellow bogleheads . I have a tax question . My mom/dad earned 13k this year , with no federal taxes being removed from paycheck . I know they paid of a 4k judgement as well. I guess paying that off counts as capital gains ? Anyone know why ? My next question involves their daughter . She is a ...

Livesoft , there is a reason for that . Care to take a stab? As one whos in the field everyday, the BPI auditing IMO is not the gospel by any means . One thing for sure ceiling fans are a must , and if you can swing it just buy a ductless split system that will easily cool your upstairs . Look into ...

Anybody familiar with this company mortage wise ? They are offering me 4.625 with a 500$ credit . It seems like they are juicing me pretty good . I went through a more official bank first but got turned down due to switching fields .

I would change out both . 20 years is shelf life of furnace IMO. As a technician that's what I tell my customers. Have you had a good inspection done on your furnace to make sure everything is in tact ? I know at our company the discount you save is the labor fee. So instead of say 7500 it will be 7...

Hey guys. Had to bump this, as my parents tax man only gave them refund of 487 instead of 3250. It is that difference of my little sister being a dependant or not. She is 20yo and lives in dorm at UB, and then home the rest of the time. Why could this have happened? I am waiting on a call back..

earlyout: How much would they get back relative to 1k investment in a roth? Thanks for the heads up. My question is why are they getting 3250 back? I don't understand when they did not have even pay fed taxes. Is that EIC, or both EIC and having kid in college? Curious if anyone knows the breakdown.

A little embarrassed to post this income, but oh well. Mom and Dad and 1 full time student Total income 13,000 No federal taxes taken out 94.17 state taxes taken out. Also, one daughter who is full time college student. Does her residency impact the EIC credit? I am confused and baffled because I pu...

Hey bogleheads! Thanks for all the nice responses. I wanted to follow up considering I met with prof. It went extremely well. He said companies care about hard work, grades, and other extracirc. stuff. He also mentioned me potentially getting into finance, and told me its heavy initially with sales....

Thanks for replies . It's a big gamble though . Right now I make about 40 k and am just a rookie in the field as a Hvac tech . Senior techs easily pull down 70-80k. It's just not my thing and don't want my felony to deter me . All my friends that I grew up always tell me I was destined for greatness...

Hello fellow bogleheads. I am currently in the trades making a decent living right now. I like what I do, but I don't love it. There is definitely some upward potential also. While I was younger( I am 27 now) I went to our local CC and had a 3.9 GPA majoring in Business admin. I completed I believe ...

I am unfamiliar with how unemployment works(in upstate ny). I hold 2 jobs, the second being something I have just been holding onto because I enjoy going in once a week on SUNDAY. My second job all the funds go straight to 401k. My main career is highly seasonal, and I am unfortunately anticipating ...

As an HVAC guy myself...please give specifics...one thing when it comes to the bidding etc...TRUST ME CHEAP IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER!! Having peace of mind for the next 20 years with a quality install, or a different headache every year? Does that mean bigger is better? Absolutely not. The little shops ...

Well, I suggested IPAD. My sister insists on getting the dell venue. I guess they are going on sale tonight for 130$$. Now one thing to consider again , is that he will only use this for stock checking. If you could picture like a guy whos completely foreign to technology and can barely see because ...

Well, my dad has NEVER asked us kids to buy him a gift. He is extremely frugal and hates spending $$, especially on himself. He finally asked me to get him something, and I actually feel honored to get him a nice gift. I am not too familiar with ipads and the like. He wants pretty much the simplest,...

I still am in the early process of this. I still have to work out a lot of kinks and see if she is willing to agree to the fed prime rate etc...Was just looking for downfalls to this kind of deal and anybody who has experience in it. Thank you

Would like to consult with the smartest people in the room on this issue(my fellow bogleheads). I have a family friend who is willing to "seller finance". Pro's are not that much $ down, great rate, and an awesome house to boot. It seems too good to be true. Anything I should know about ? Why doesn'...

The company I would guess employs about 5k people. Many new stores opening. So that makes sense why I look online and see diff expenses ratios compared to my 401k printout. It is run through MASS MUTUAL. It looks like my two lowest are EATON VANCE large cap at.98% and the Northern Trust index fund a...